Tourism
From The Report: Morocco 2013
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Despite its relative stability, the kingdom’s tourism sector experienced a number of difficulties over the past two years as the region has struggled with political unrest. However, its strength and speedy recovery has shown just how important tourism is to the Moroccan economy, with the country attracting 9.38m visitors in 2012. Oversight of the sector is set to be reorganised, with management increasingly devolved to regional authorities. Plans to focus on niche segments such as ecotourism and adventure tourism, as well as continued investment for beach resorts as part of Plan Azur, should help develop rural parts of the country and will diversify the sector’s offerings.

This chapter includes interviews with Lahcen Haddad, Minister of Tourism; and Yann Caillère, President and COO, Accor Group.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Holding the line: Enhancing and diversifying offerings in the face of a difficult international context
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Despite being affected by fallout from the Arab Spring and the slowdown in Europe, Morocco’s tourism sector is still able to demonstrate that it remains one of the country’s strong economic sectors. Continued investment in big tourism infrastructure projects is expanding capacity for an expected rise in beach travellers over the coming years. A government plan to reshuffle the way the sector is managed will see increased participation from regional authorities in shaping attractions, management…

Analysis

Take it to the regions: A new authority will implement the Vision 2020 plan and decentralise sector development
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Restructuring is a key part of Morocco’s ambitious plan to expand of the tourism industry, encompassed in the Vision 2020 programme. As the government continues its efforts to increase tourism numbers, diversify target markets and raise the quality of service and infrastructure, important elements of sector governance will be handed down to regional authorities. At the same time, the creation of a new central tourism authority should have a noticeable impact on sector growth in the medium to…

Interview

OBG talks to Yann Caillère, President & COO, Accor Group
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Interview: Yann Caillère What can be done to help improve the supply of seasoned talent in the hospitality industry? YANN CAILLÈRE: In recent years, Morocco has progressed to develop more qualified labour for the hotel and tourism sector. New schools have been opened, such as the Hotel School of Geneva in Casablanca in 2010, the Vatel School in Marrakech, the Glion Institute of Higher Education (supported by the Université Internationale de Casablanca) and business schools offering master’s…

Analysis

Just what the doctor ordered: Medical tourism is providing a fillip for sector expansion
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As it emerges as an important medical and wellness tourism destination, in particular in the fields of cosmetic surgery – of which the kingdom was an early pioneer – and dental treatment, Morocco is making great strides forward. Although the segment is not as well-developed as in some Eastern European and Asian markets, and also lags behind neighbouring Tunisia in some respects, it benefits from a combination of advantages, such as proximity to Western Europe, a pleasant climate, the availability…

Analysis

Right place, right price: The entry of low-cost carriers has transformed air travel
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Since the liberalisation of the Moroccan aviation market and the signature of an aviation agreement with the EU in the mid-2000s, low-cost flights between Europe and the kingdom have played a major role in the growth of the Moroccan tourism industry. The advent of the era of low-cost flights has facilitated access to tourism destinations and low-cost carriers (LCCs) continue to expand into less-used airports. SEGMENT DEVELOPMENT The first European LCCs to fly to Morocco were easyJet and Ryanair,…